Dogstuck
by Ayami Aras
Summary: AU where the trolls adopt their dog counterparts and bond and play and all that good stuff. Mainly fluff.
1. Adopting Karkat

**Dugstuck**

**Karkat**

Note: I also have drawings of the dogs. Karkat can be found here (remove spaces):

ayamiaras. deviantart gallery/ 40049873#/ d5hmnln

I might not be the best artist and I did draw them by hand instead of on the computer so the quality is low, but I hope you enjoy it none the less.

* * *

The woman behind the desk looked the girl over uncertainly and then said, "You realize that the dogs here aren't trained to be used as seeing-eye-dogs, right?"

…

After walking up and down the aisles of kennels, playing with several bouncy puppies, and feeding treats to big dogs and small dogs alike, Terezi finally nodded at the kind woman who worked at the pound and declared, "I've made up my mind."

The woman smiled and grabbed a small collar and leash, expecting the girl to pick one of the younger dogs. Puppies were always the popular choice. She was surprised when Terezi pointed to the kennel at the end of the row and proclaimed, "I want that one!" Not only was 'that one' not a puppy, but he was also a Rottweiler, which wasn't one of the easiest breeds of dogs to get adopted. Plus, this particular Rottweiler had a slightly grouchy personality. When Terezi originally came close to the bars, the dog barked at her and backed away. The poor dog had been in the pound for a while now and he was almost out of time. The pound workers had all lost hope that the grumpy dog would ever get adopted and yet here was someone who wanted him. "R-really? _That_ one? Are you sure?" Well the girl was blind, maybe she was pointing to the wrong one?

…

After the papers were all signed and tags paid for, the woman asked, "What are you going to name him?"

"Karkat." Terezi said without any hesitation. The woman stared at her for a moment, before going back for…_Karkat_…and clipping a leash onto his choke collar. He barked and barked and once he was out of the cage, he pulled at the leash, trying to go in every which way only to be choked by the collar. Wondering if this poor blind girl would be able to handle such a strong willed dog, the worker handed the leash over.

Terezi took it firmly and in a commanding voice ordered, "Sit." Karkat looked at his new master, gave a short disgruntled growl and then refused to sit. Terezi frowned. "We'll have to work on that." Then the blind girl reached down to pet the Rottweiler. As her hands slid over the chain links on the choke collar, she frowned and asked, "Do you have any _red_ collars?"

…

One week later…

"Sit." Karkat sat. For the first time. Terezi stared at the dog in shock for a moment before grinning and jumping up and down and wrapping her arms around Karkat and showering him with love and affection. "You did it, Karkat! You did it! You're such a good boy! I knew you could do it!"

…

A few months later…

"Thanks for walking me home, Dave. I…" Terezi's words were cut off by frantic barking as soon as she stepped onto the porch. "Oh, that's my dog, Karkat. Would you like to meet him?" Terezi unlocked her door and took a fighting stance, ready to tackle her dog should he try to slip past her and run off. He rushed her as soon as he had the chance and Terezi grabbed him in a tight headlock before maneuvering so she was holding onto his cherry red collar. Karkat continued to bark at the intruder. "Karkat. Shut up. This is Dave. Dave is a friend." Terezi explained. "Hold your hand out to him. Let him sniff it. And don't worry, he's all bark, but no bite."

Dave looked from Terezi to the Rottweiler and hesitated for a moment before holding his hand out to the dog who sniffed it angrily, but true enough didn't bite. He did growl though. "I don't think your dog likes me."

"He just doesn't like strangers. He'll warm up to you eventually."

…

A few months later…

"Dude, Karkat. It's just me. Do we really have to go through this every time I come over?" Dave asked as the Rottweiler yapped his head off after Dave rang the doorbell.

Terezi appeared then and dragged Karkat away from the door and they both disappeared for a moment before Terezi reappeared looking slightly disheveled and opened the door. "Sorry about that. I locked him in the bathroom so you don't have to worry."

"What happened to 'he'll warm up to you'?" Dave asked after stepping inside.

"Sorry. He's just jealous that I'm spending time with you and not him."

…

Later that night…

After spending all day with Dave, Terezi finally opened the door to the bathroom to find Karkat lying on the rug in front of the sink. When the door opened his head perked up. Seeing Terezi, he growled his annoyance at her, stood up, and walked to the other side of the bathroom. He lied back down with his back to his master.

"Oh, Karkles. Don't be like that," Terezi cooed, carefully walking over to him and crouching beside him. She ran her hands over his black coat and scratched behind the ears where she knew he liked it.

Finally, Karkat caved and gave a forgiving lick to his master's offered hand and his stubby tail wagged back and forth.

"I love you, Karkat."


	2. Adopting Terezi

**Dogstuck**

**Terezi**

Notes: Terezi and her owner, Karkat: ayamiaras. deviantart gallery/ 40049873#/ d5hsfou

* * *

"R-really? _That_ one? Are you sure?" The man working at the pound kept getting one surprise after another with this one boy.

He was a tad short with black hair and a permanent scowl on his face. Right as he walked in, the pound worker had him pegged as a cat person so he was surprised when the boy asked if there were any adoptable dogs. Okay, maybe he wanted a guard dog or something. It surprised the worker once again when the youth picked out the hands down friendliest dog in the kennel. Sure it was a German Shepherd, but that didn't make her any less friendly. After the worker opened the door, the dog leaped up onto the boy and knocked him flat on his rear before proceeding to lick his entire face. It had taken several minutes before the dog could be secured again. Then there was one other problem with the dog as well: she was blind. Whoever ended up adopting her would need to take extra good care of her.

"Yes." The boy crossed his arms and frowned. "I'm sure."

…

After adopting Terezi (which was a stupid name for a dog, but what she was used to hearing so no changing it now), Karkat brought her home and let her sniff around the house and learn where things like walls and couches were. He showed her where her food and water bowl was and had to wrestle her away from the toilet once she'd started drinking out of it. Although he thought he had dog proofed the house before bringing the dog home, he still had to move things around to accommodate Terezi. He also had to show her the doggy door that lead out to the fenced in backyard. Karkat didn't want to have to open the door for her every time she had to go to the bathroom so she'd have to get used to going out on her own. Despite Karkat's efforts to make it easier for her, Terezi still ended up peeing on the kitchen floor which Karkat rubbed her nose in and shouted at her for. By the end of the day Karkat was exhausted!

The last thing he showed Terezi for the night was the big dog bed in the corner of his room. "This is where you sleep," he explained tiredly as he pat the big pillow. Terezi sniffed eagerly at it and Karkat yawned and crawled into his own bed. He was about to fall asleep when Terezi suddenly jumped on top of him and wiggled her way under the covers next to her new master before curling up. "Oh no!" Karkat scolded, "This is my bed. Not yours. You have your own fucking bed, now go and sleep in it." He pushed the dog who squirmed and stumbled, getting tangled in the sheets before falling off the bed with a thud. Before Karkat could worry if she was okay, the German Shepherd was on her feet and jumping back up into bed with Karkat who continued shouting at her.

Finally Karkat fell on his back on his bed, exhausted. He pulled the covers up around his torso and let out a sigh. "Good night, Terezi." Terezi, who was of course lying beside him, leaned her head over to lick his face in response before setting her head back down to sleep as well.

…  
A week later…

"TEREZI!" Karkat shouted at the top of his lungs. "TEREZI!" His voice sounded a little frantic as he ran across the park after his blind dog who had managed to escape his grip. She was now running across an empty soccer field with a leather leash trailing behind her. She seemed to be having a great time with her tongue lolling out and her tail wagging as she stopped to bark at a squirrel or two she had caught sniff of.

Meanwhile Karkat was worrying about anything and everything that might happen. What if she didn't stay in the park and ran out into the road? What if she got lost and couldn't find her way back? What if she ran into something or someone? "Fuck, Terezi! Get back here this instant!"

The German Shepherd looked back in the direction of Karkat's voice and wagged her tail, glad that he had followed her. Then she ran in a circle and then off again in a random direction. She ran into a tree once, between a couple making out, and almost tripped over a soccer ball. Other than a few mishaps, she was fine. Karkat finally caught her when her leash got tangled in a bush she had tried plowing through. For the rest of the day Terezi was kept on a short leash, literally.

…

A few months later…

BANG! Karkat groaned and turned around to see Terezi shaking her head. "Terezi. That wall has been there since you got here. It's not ever going to not be there. When will you stop running into it?" At the sound of her master's voice, Terezi's ears perked up and swiveled forward. Then she ran over to where Karkat was sitting at his desk and tried hopping up into his lap and licking his face. Karkat gave a few half-hearted protests, but otherwise gave her a good scratch and a hug before he pushed her off to continue writing his paper for school. Terezi, however, didn't get the hint and didn't stop trying to lick him and play with him until Karkat finally left his computer to find a scented tennis ball to throw around outside.

…

A few weeks later…

"It's really a great movie. I'm telling you," John said, trying to convince Karkat as they walked up the steps of the latter's porch.

"I'm not going to watch that dumb movie!" Karkat groaned and stuck his key into the lock and opened the door. Then he stepped inside and, out of habit, braced himself. John gave his school chum a questioning look for only a moment before a German Shepherd appeared out of nowhere and charged Karkat. She leaped up to lick the youth's face and Karkat was able to stay standing instead of being knocked over like so many times in the past.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot you had a dog! Her name is Terezi right?" John smiled.

At the sound of an unfamiliar voice saying her name, Terezi quickly dropped back to the ground and curiously sniffed the newcomer. John grinned and crouched down to pet her head. After deciding that this person was not a threat, Terezi welcomed him with several licks.

"Uhh, Karkat?" John asked. "Is something wrong with her eyes?" Having noticed her eyes, John didn't know what to think. Karkat never mentioned before that his dog was blind although he had mentioned her several times before. That was a thing people mentioned, wasn't it? So maybe it was something else.

"Yeah. She's blind. What of it?" Karkat answered simply. He never mentioned it because Terezi was so much more than just a blind dog. In fact she rarely acted blind at all and it wasn't until she tripped over something that he had left on the floor, or ran into a door he had closed that he was reminded of the fact.

"Oh, umm. I don't know. Do you take care of her all by yourself? Heehee. I guess it's just hard for me to imagine you taking care of anything let alone a blind dog." John laughed and continued to scratch and rub Terezi who was enjoying this boy very much.

"I can take care of Terezi just fine, fuckass!" Karkat growled.

Hearing her master say her name got Terezi's attention and she decided to jump up on him again. This time, however, Karkat was unprepared and fell backwards, landing with a hard thud. Terezi licked him affectionately while John laughed, "Yeah. You take good care of her. I can tell by how much she loves you." Then he laughed again as Karkat struggled to get out from under his loving pet.


	3. Adopting Tavros

**Dogstuck**

**Tavros**

Note: Picture: ayamiaras. deviantart gallery/ 40049873# /d5i8mjl

* * *

"R-really? _That_ one?" The young volunteer asked in surprise.

"That's what we all said too!" The fellow pound worker laughed in reply.

"Well, I'm glad he got adopted. I was worried about him." The first said softly.

"We all were, Tavros. We all were. I just hope the girl who adopted him can handle him. Mary said that the girl was blind! Oh and speaking of blind…Terezi was adopted last weekend as well."

"Wow. I feel like I missed a lot. The one time I get sick and all the dogs get adopted." Tavros volunteered at the pound every weekend but last weekend he had gotten sick and had to stay home to rest.

As they talked, the two volunteers walked towards the pound, avoiding the few steps that lead up to the door in favor of the wheelchair friendly ramp for Tavros. "Don't worry. There are plenty of dogs left and some more coming in too. A dachshund was left tied to the door overnight just the other day. Poor thing couldn't even stand."

…

"Hey guys, bad news. You know the dachshund? I think I know why it was abandoned." The female volunteer named Mary stopped by to talk to the other two workers that were at the pound that day. "It has back problems. It's a common thing for dachshunds and usually can be fixed with medication and rest _if_ treated quickly." She paused and the two others frowned, not liking where this was headed. "The cost of surgery runs in the thousands." The silence hung heavily in the air. For pound dogs, getting sick was never good. If it was anything that required much more than medication the pound just couldn't afford it even with the discounts their veterinarian gave them. It was tough to admit, but the pound couldn't justify spending a lot of money on a dog that may or may not be adopted. Not to mention their budget was already pretty tight. Since surgery wasn't an option, there was only one other thing that could ease the dog of its suffering.

…

"Uhh, hi there little guy," Tavros was sitting in front of the cage of the small dachshund. The dog was lying down on a small pillow and looked up at Tavros with sad chocolate eyes. Mary had explained that she had given him some medication to dull the pain, but Tavros could tell that the dachshund was still feeling it. Not to mention the poor creature must be scared to be alone in an unfamiliar place, questioning why he had been abandoned, what he had done wrong. Tavros's heart went out to the creature, as it did to all the animals in the shelter, but there was something about this particular dog that was really pulling on his heart strings.

Suddenly Tavros's phone went off and he nearly jumped out of his chair. It also caused several of the dogs to start barking. Tavros fumbled for the device, silently scolding himself for forgetting to turn it off. "H-Hello?" He asked, holding the phone to his ear.

From the other end came a familiar voice, "Hey there my motherfucking best friend."

"Hi Gamzee. Uhhh, you know I can't really talk right now. I'm at the pound right now. Ummm, is there something you need?" Tavros tried to hold the phone to his cheek with his shoulder while turning around to leave the area with all the barking dogs, but it proved to be difficult.

"Yeah, I can hear all the motherfucking barking. You sure do love dogs and cats too I guess since you got those at the pound too. You just like animals. And nah, I didn't call for any particular reason. Just wanted to tell my best buddy to have a motherfucking miracle-filled day."

Tavros paused and looked back at the dachshund, "Yeah…I could use a miracle today."

"Huh? Is something wrong? What's making you sad? You better believe that I will stop whatever it is that's making you sad." Gamzee's voice was concerned.

"Oh, it's just this dachshund. We have to put him down because we can't afford to put him through surgery." Tavros still didn't move. His eyes were glued to the small dog who in turn kept his eyes on Tavros.

"Aw, that's not fair. Having to up and kill the poor fella because it got hurt. No fault of its own, surely. But you know, Tav, miracles! That dog is about to experience a motherfucking miracle. I'm gonna go all fairy godmother on this dog. I'll pay for the surgery."

The phone dropped from between Tavros's cheek and shoulder and fell into his lap. He fumbled to pick it back up, "W-what?! Gamzee, surgery costs a couple of thousand dollars and then we don't even know if the dog will be adopted after that." He knew Gamzee had said that he would make whatever was making him sad stop, but he hadn't actually been expecting Gamzee to pay for surgery!

"I'll adopt him. I've always wanted a dog."

"G-Gamzee!"

"Don't put that motherfucker down. I'm coming over to bestow a miracle on him!" And without letting Tavros argue any further, the phone connection was broken and Tavros was left sitting in shock among all the barking dogs with one particular lucky dog still watching him with large brown eyes.

…

Since Gamzee offered to pay for the surgery, the dachshund was brought to a veterinary right away. Back problems in this breed of dog in particular are best treated immediately and so no time was wasted, especially since it was unsure of how long the poor thing had been suffering for before it was brought to the pound even. The dachshund was put through an MRI scan and the vets confirmed that it was Intervertebral Disk Disease. It was also discovered that the back had probably been left untreated for several days and that a full recovery might not be possible. Regardless, surgery was started immediately and the dachshund had to stay overnight for several days. When he was finally released, the pound had Gamzee fill out the adoption papers and then officially handed the pet over.

…

"Are you ready to meet your new owner?" Tavros asked the dachshund as he wheeled towards the main room of the pound. The dachshund trotted beside him happily, tail wagging. It was amazing how much the dog had perked up since the surgery. He was even eager to walk around already even though technically he wasn't supposed to. Tavros wanted him to walk out on his own when meeting Gamzee for the first time; it was important to him. "You'll like him, I'm sure. I know I like him." Tavros smiled, "I…uhh, I mean he's a nice guy. We're…uhh…friends." Finally, Tavros opened the door and waved at Gamzee behind the counter. "Here he is," he said to both the pet and the owner.

Gamzee still couldn't see the short dog behind the counter and had to wait for the little guy to come around the corner of it. First his little brown head appeared and it tilted to the side as the dog looked at Gamzee. Then the rest of his long body appeared and Gamzee was surprised to see the back half supported by a wheelchair-like contraption. "Aww, hey. Look at you, all walking and what not. It's a motherfucking miracle." He smiled and crouched down holding out his hand for the dachshund to sniff. Then he scratched the pup's head.

"We don't know what his name was and no one has given him a new one since we found him. He's yours now. What would you like to call him?" Tavros asked as he watched the two bond.

Gamzee thought for a moment about the question and then smiled and said, "Tavros."

"What?"

"He reminds me of you. So I think I'll name him Tavros."

"Uhhh, yeah. That sure is my name." The human Tavros wasn't so sure what to think of his friend naming his dog after him, especially since the similarity was obviously that they were both in wheelchairs. "Uhh, thanks?" But as he watched the little dog, who had just a few days ago had no chance at life, wag his tail and lick Gamzee's offered hand, Tavros couldn't be anything but happy.

…

A month later…

"Oh. Yeah, that's cool I guess," Gamzee said into his phone. His voice dropped in disappointment. "No. I'll be fine on my own. I always am cuz you taught me to be self-reliant and all that good stuff." He should have been expecting this. "I know it's not your fault. Motherfucking things just happen. I know that. You've got work. I don't blame you at all or nothing." Why had he been hoping that this year would be any different from any other year? "Yeah. I love you too, Dad. Bye." His voice cracked a bit at the end and he quickly hung up the phone and replaced it on its stand. Then he just stood in the family room alone with his head hanging. His old man was a big shot business man and worked far away. He promised he'd be home but of course that was just another lie. Gamzee had really been counting on it, turning down plans to make room to spend time with his pop.

Before Gamzee could get swept away in his emotions, something hit his foot. Looking down he noticed the little dachshund he had adopted nuzzling his ankle. Gamzee smiled and crouched down to pet the dog's head. "Thanks, Tavros."

After a moment, Gamzee stood back up and walked towards the kitchen to grab himself a Faygo. Tavros followed, walking quickly on his front two feet while his hind feet were still supported by the wheelchair. He hadn't recovered the use of his back legs, but Gamzee still considered him fully recovered and the dog himself didn't seem to think any differently either.

…

A few days later…

Gamzee was sitting at the dining room table while eating a small meal alone. At his feet sat Tavros and Gamzee broke a few rules by placing a plate on the floor and feeding Tavros human food. Tavros barked and wagged his tail and Gamzee smiled, "Yeah. Merry motherfucking Christmas to you too, Tav."

And it was the best Christmas ever.

…

Several months later…

Gamzee was walking Tavros who was more than happy to be allowed to walk around after being confined to his cage for mandatory rest this last week. (He needed to rest every now and then to prevent any future back problems). He stopped to sniff here and there and Gamzee let him, not in any rush to get anywhere.

Suddenly Gamzee spotted a large, black dog eyeing him from a yard on the other side of the street. Gamzee wasn't sure what breed of dog it was, but it was big and looked aggressive and probably outweighed Tavros by close to 100 pounds. Gamzee watched the dog as it stood up and trotted to the edge of the fenced-in yard. On closer inspection, Gamzee realized that the dog was missing an eye and that its front left leg was just a stump with a prosthetic. It had obviously been in its fair share of fights and Gamzee could only guess what injuries the other dogs it fought had come away with.

Unaware of the bigger dog across the street, Tavros finished up with his investigation of a questionable dandelion and then continued waddling down the sidewalk, his wheel chair clicking whenever it rolled over a crack. Gamzee followed while keeping an eye on the bigger dog that apparently started to feel like Gamzee and Tavros were encroaching on its territory. It gave out a loud, deep bark that would send chills up anyone's spine. This got Tavros's attention who barked back, a less intimidating bark. Then, the black dog ran back and forth along the fence twice before stopping in front of a small hole, digging some, and then wriggling under the fence.

Gamzee did what any other pet owner would do when faced with such a threat, and as the black dog ran towards him and he ran towards the black dog. Okay, maybe that's not what _any_ pet owner would do, but it seemed only natural to Gamzee. They met in the middle of the street, the dog trying to get in a good bite and Gamzee trying to grab a hold of the dog's deep blue collar.

In no time at all, the door to the house the dog had come from flung open and female voice called out, "VRISKA!" That caused the dog to lose concentration for just long enough for Gamzee to grab the dog's collar and secure the fiend. "I am so sorry," the girl who apparently owned this dog ran across her yard, opened the gate and met Gamzee to take the collar from him. "You're bleeding! Here, come inside and let me clean you off."

Despite bleeding from several wounds from tooth and claw, Gamzee ignored the offer and immediately looked around to find Tavros barking at Vriska a few feet away. Gamzee quickly (and carefully) scooped the dog into his arms and frowned as he felt the poor guy trembling.

"I'm so sorry," the girl repeated again, but Gamzee continued to ignore her as he made sure Tavros was alright.

Only after he found not a single scratch on his beloved pet did he offer the girl his attention and shrug his shoulders, "It's okay. Tavros is okay and as long as Tav is okay then everything is motherfucking okay." And it really was okay. It didn't matter how hurt Gamzee got. If anything should ever happen to Tavros, he didn't know what he'd do because Tavros had become by far the most important thing in his life.


	4. Adopting Vriska

**Dogstuck**

**Vriska**

Note: (without spaces) ayamiaras. deviantart gallery/ 40049873#/ d5ij6b8

* * *

"That's my dog!" A girl shouted at the heavily armed dog catcher.

The male cast a glance behind him at the girl and then back at the dog. "Really?"

The dog was large and black with a square head and pointed ears. It had several wounds most noticeable of which were its missing eye and lack of a fourth leg. It was snarling and had a vicious look in its one eye. It was dirty and it was obvious that it hadn't been bathed in quite possibly its whole life. Everything about this dog screamed stray. If one was to take a guess it was probably bread to be a fighter and then left to die after it lost one too many fights (and its leg), but that'd just be a guess.

The girl on the other hand was probably in high school or college and stood tall and properly. She wore a long red skirt that had iron lines and was without a hint of dust, lint, and hair of any kind. The rest of her clothes were just as neat and clean. Her nails were manicured and she wore make-up that wasn't smudged in the slightest. Her short black hair was immaculate and not a single strand was out of place. To top it all off, she was wearing a pair of black heels.

These two creatures in no way belonged in each other's worlds and the dog catcher was skeptical.

The girl stood her ground and held her head high as if she was in the right despite her obvious lie. She looked at the dog and in a firm yet kind voice commanded the dog, "Come."

The dog growled at the dog catcher, but shifted its eyes towards the girl. The dog remained backed up against the wall and made no move to follow orders.

The girl took several angry steps forward and came up next to the dog catcher. "Vriska, I said COME!" Her voice got deeper and more powerful.

The dog hesitated for a moment and at least stopped its growling. It took a few cautious steps forward towards the girl, having at one point been trained rather well.

The dog catcher was surprised and his mouth fell open at the sight.

Finally the dog got close enough to the girl that she was able to reach out and grab a hold of the skin around the dog's neck. She yanked it and started scolding the dog. Finally she smiled at the dog catcher and said in a polite voice, "I apologize sincerely for all the trouble she's caused you. I promise that it won't happen again." Then she returned to scolding the dog, mentioning how the dog had even managed to lose its collar and that it had been gone for far too long and that she had been so worried etc.

...

"If we take her to the pound, she'll only be euthanized. I promise I will take good care of her. She listens to me! She'll be a good dog. I promise." Kanaya had always wanted a dog since she was a young girl, but her mother had never allowed it. Having seen Vriska, as she was officially being named now that Kanaya was sure that the dog was indeed a girl dog, about to be taken to the pound where the poor thing would probably never be adopted, she just had to step in a save the poor dear. Right now, Vriska was in the fenced in front yard, lapping away at a large dish of water after scarfing down a couple of hot dogs Kanaya had snuck her. Meanwhile the girl was in the house begging her mother to let her keep the dog. She pulled out every argument she had built up over the years and finally her mother gave in and said yes.

...

"I apologize for Vriska's bad behavior," Kanaya said once again to the veterinarian after a very difficult process of getting the dog's shots.

"No problem at all," the veterinarian said, bringing out a heavily sedated dog and handing over the leash. Even sedated as she was Vriska still growled at the man who had administered the shots. Kanaya gave the leash a quick jerk, tightening the choke collar she had purchased earlier. Vriska coughed, but got the message and stopped growling. Kanaya pat her head and examined the shiny new tags that indicated she had had all her shots. Kanaya had even purchased a tag to put Vriska's name on and her phone number. It was in the shape of a bone.

"Thank you very much," Kanaya paid for the shots and fees and then lead the doped up dog home. It was an amusing walk and Kanaya couldn't help but giggle as she watched Vriska wobble and stumble, but she was kind and patient and helped guide Vriska home.

Once there, the dog lied down in the shade of a tree in the front yard and slept off the drugs. Kanaya scratched behind the dog's ears for a while, not wanting to leave her just yet even if Vriska was sleeping. That had been one of the conditions Kanaya's mother had laid out before agreeing to let her daughter keep the dog: Vriska sleeps outside. Kanaya would have to buy a dog house, but was at least thankful that both her front and back yard were fenced in well enough for a dog. Finally Kanaya gave her new pet one last pat and then stood up and went inside.

...

A few weeks later…

Kanaya returned home from school to welcoming barks from Vriska. Kanaya couldn't help but smile. She had really loved being welcomed home by someone. Her mother tended to work late most days and Kanaya had let herself in with a key since she was in elementary school. It was nice to have someone waiting for her for a change. It also helped that Vriska was always so excited to see her. Kanaya sat her messenger bag with her books in it on the porch and took some time to play with Vriska before going inside to begin on her homework. Kanaya looked around the yard for the toy she had purchased recently and was dismayed when she found it under the tree…and by the fence…and in a bush…and all over the yard. The thing was in pieces, stuffing everywhere and felt limbs in every corner of the yard. The squeaker was floating in the water dish and Kanaya sighed. She should have known better than to buy a stuffed toy. Vriska was a rough dog and needed sturdy toys, but the stuffed spider had looked rather cute to Kanaya.

Kanaya cleaned the yard and disposed of the disemboweled toy. There really were better things she should be spending her money on than toys that would break so quickly. As it turned out, owning a dog was expensive, especially since Kanaya wanted to spoil Vriska so much. Aside from buying dog food, Kanaya had to buy a collar, a leash, pay for shots and tags, food and water bowls, the occasional toy, etc. She had reluctantly used babysitting money she had been saving up to buy a dog house. Who knew those things could be so expensive? Not to mention she had needed to buy a large and sturdy one to house Vriska. The little house now stood in the corner of the yard, unused which Kanaya found to be very frustrating. Perhaps once it got colder Vriska would use it? Then it wouldn't be a total waste.

There was one more expensive thing Kanaya had her eye on for her beloved Vriska and that was an artificial leg. Sure Vriska could walk well enough now, but after Vriska had gotten a splinter in her only front paw and couldn't even walk anymore, Kanaya had made up her mind. The problem with that was that it was obviously expensive, but also it was hard to find veterinarians who would do such a thing. Kanaya was determined though and had done her research and had been saving up. She took on a job during the weekends and even passed up buying new shoes several times (and she could really use some new shoes too), but despite all her work, it was slow going.

She thought of this as she tossed a stick around her yard for Vriska, that is until the stick finally broke and Vriska caught sight of a couple taking a walk on the sidewalk across the street. Vriska started barking at them, protecting her new territory and master. Kanaya shouted and scolded her dog and then called out an apology to the couple across the street. She considered investing in a shock collar as well, but didn't actually like the idea. Instead she stuck with scolding. "Vriska, you do not bark at the people passing by. Bad dog."

...

A few months later…

Vriska took her first few steps on her new prosthetic limb outside in the parking lot of the specialty vet who had created the limb. She didn't like the thing at first and was wobbly, but after only a few minutes, Vriska was running about, tail wagging happily. Kanaya smiled widely. This was well worth the money and the long hours working and the sacrifices.

Kanaya threw a tennis ball using a fancy plastic thrower arm and sent the ball flying into the next door vacant field. (The tennis ball thrower was nice for Kanaya who didn't have much of a throwing arm and who disliked having to pick up the slobbery ball.) Vriska charged after it, able to run faster than she had before. Then she brought it back just as fast and dropped it at Kanaya's feet proudly. Kanaya scooped up the tennis ball using the scooper/thrower thing and sent the ball flying once again. Vriska gladly ran after it.

"She's taken rather quickly to the new limb." The young man who had made the limb and attached it walked up behind Kanaya as he watched Vriska run.

"Yes, I can't thank you enough. She's so happy." Kanaya beamed happily.

The young man nodded a bit stiffly and wiped his brow of sweat with a towel. He reminded Kanaya of how to clean the limb and how often and told her that if anything ever happened to bring Vriska back in. Kanaya promised that she would and then continued to play with Vriska, happy just to watch her run. The vet returned inside.

Vriska was so happy and her happiness made Kanaya happy. She couldn't imagine what she would be doing right now if she hadn't come across the stray months earlier and who knew what would have become of Vriska. She didn't even want to think about it. The fact was she had come across the stray and taken her in and now both of their lives had improved because it. Vriska brought the ball back again and Kanaya dropped to her knees and pulled the happy dog into her arms. "I love you, Vriska. You're the best dog a girl could ask for."


End file.
